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Zbigniew Brzezinski
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The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy And Its Geostrategic Imperatives Paperback – September 18, 1998

by Zbigniew Brzezinski (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 367 ratings
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The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives
The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives
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As the twentieth century draws to a close, the United States has emerged as the world's only superpower: no other nation possesses comparable military and economic power or has interests that bestride the globe. Yet the critical question facing America remains unanswered: What should be the nation's global strategy for maintaining its exceptional position in the world? Zbigniew Brzezinski tackles this question head-on in this incisive and pathbreaking book.The Grand Chessboard presents Brzezinski's bold and provocative geostrategic vision for American preeminence in the twenty-first century. Central to his analysis is the exercise of power on the Eurasian landmass, which is home to the greatest part of the globe's population, natural resources, and economic activity. Stretching from Portugal to the Bering Strait, from Lapland to Malaysia, Eurasia is the ”grand chessboard” on which America's supremacy will be ratified and challenged in the years to come. The task facing the United States, he argues, is to manage the conflicts and relationships in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East so that no rival superpower arises to threaten our interests or our well-being.The heart of The Grand Chessboard is Brzezinski's analysis of the four critical regions of Eurasia and of the stakes for America in each arena—Europe, Russia, Central Asia, and East Asia. The crucial fault lines may seem familiar, but the implosion of the Soviet Union has created new rivalries and new relationships, and Brzezinski maps out the strategic ramifications of the new geopolitical realities. He explains, for example: Why France and Germany will play pivotal geostrategic roles, whereas Britain and Japan will not. Why NATO expansion offers Russia the chance to undo the mistakes of the past, and why Russia cannot afford to toss this opportunity aside. Why the fate of Ukraine and Azerbaijan are so important to America. Why viewing China as a menace is likely to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Why America is not only the first truly global superpower but also the last—and what the implications are for America's legacy. Brzezinski's surprising and original conclusions often turn conventional wisdom on its head as he lays the groundwork for a new and compelling vision of America's vital interests. Once, again, Zbigniew Brzezinski provides our nation with a philosophical and practical guide for maintaining and managing our hard-won global power.
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  1. Print length
    240 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Basic Books
  4. Publication date
    September 18, 1998
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0465027261
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0465027262
  8. Lexile measure
    1550L
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Zbigniew Brzezinski, the National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter, is a counselor and trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a professor of American foreign policy at the School of Advanced International Studies, the Johns Hopkins University, both located in Washington, D.C. His many books include The Choice and The Grand Chessboard. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; Later Printing Used edition (September 18, 1998)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0465027261
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465027262
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1550L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 367 ratings

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Zbigniew Brzezinski

Zbigniew Brzezinski

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4.5 out of 5 stars
367 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and interesting. It provides insightful analysis into current events and a good guide for understanding geopolitics. Readers describe it as an eye-opening look at the global old and new order.

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37 customers mention "Readability"34 positive3 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and understand. They say it's a good book for understanding the world around you and the environment that shapes anyone. The content is great with realistic assumptions about US foreign policies. It's an interesting read and highly recommended for IR and politics students.

"...book reveals much about super-power strategic thinking process, written very clearly, and I added the last star for his efforts to draw a map of the..." Read more

"...Anyway a very interesting book." Read more

"This book written in 1997 presents a very concise, shrewd and outstandingly clear assessment of the trends and challenges in international and..." Read more

"..."The Grand Chessboard" is an easy read based on the headiness of the subject matter, but must be ingested in small pieces...." Read more

32 customers mention "Insight"32 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and useful for understanding current events. They say it provides important and stimulating information for the average person. The author's analysis of world politics and strategy is appreciated, making it a must-read for understanding US foreign policy.

"Basically, this book is the work of a mastermind geostrategist that outlines his view of America's global role, and what we need to do to maintain..." Read more

"This is a very interesting book.Brezinsky is a very clever person, everybody knows that is member of several almost secret organizations, but the..." Read more

"...written in 1997 presents a very concise, shrewd and outstandingly clear assessment of the trends and challenges in international and security..." Read more

"...This book provides important and stimulating information for the average person...." Read more

7 customers mention "Eye opening"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and informative. They describe it as a deep look into the global old and new order. The book is described as brilliant and still relevant today.

"This book written in 1997 presents a very concise, shrewd and outstandingly clear assessment of the trends and challenges in international and..." Read more

"What a grand design, being implemented by the globalists more and more day after day. A brilliant diagram for domination." Read more

"...Very clear and understandable. A close and deep look to the global old and new order. Literature fascinating!" Read more

"Awesome book from a brilliant man. Everything in the book still applies today. Makes much of the geopolitics understandable in 2014." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Alaturka
    5.0 out of 5 stars Expert Analysis:
    Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2003
    Verified Purchase
    Brzezinski is familiarly precinct, efficient and far reaching. In this book he puts on display his characteristically deep analytic skills on a topic he has spent many years as a professional strategist and lecturer. Though at the time of its publishing, when the world was in a much more optimistic mood and globalism was on the march, his approach seemed to hark back to a bygone era, nowadays in this time of hawkish politics, he does not seem to be that far off the mark. His rationalism should not be confused with the views of the current ideologues on the right though.
    Certainly, his take on US [power], and its logic of inevitability, may not be that acceptable to some, but still, it only reflects reality, not necessarily a moral judgment. Regardless, rather than simply focusing on and explaining the present based on recent past, like many professional talking heads do, he has actually made some bold projections into far future.
    He points at Asia as the center of this grand chess game and concludes it is there where the final moves will be played out. With his excellent knowledge of Eastern Europe, Russia and Far East, he makes an excellent argument.
    His few attempts at placing Middle East and Islam in the picture fall far short though; he fails to go beyond worn-out clichés. When was the last time an Islamic revolution got exported anywhere, really?
    This is a valuable and interesting book reveals much about super-power strategic thinking process, written very clearly, and I added the last star for his efforts to draw a map of the future geo-politics. Highly recommended for anyone interested in these topics.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • P.K. Ryan
    5.0 out of 5 stars American Hegemony 101
    Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2007
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    Basically, this book is the work of a mastermind geostrategist that outlines his view of America's global role, and what we need to do to maintain our global preeminence. The book is dated-it was published in 1997-but in a way this makes it interesting as we can see how some of Brzezinski's predictions have come to fruition.

    First things first, Brzezinski is not some kind of devious Dr. Evil, and he has been highly critical of American actions under the current administration, so to say that he is some sort of pre-cursor to the Bush doctrine is unfair and inaccurate. Obviously, any book that refers to the potential fate of whole countries as a grand game of chess is certain to ruffle feathers, but this is basically what international relations experts do. This is a practical, unsentimental, and insightful argument for American global primacy and how we should use our power and influence for good. This is not to say that I agree with this worldview, I don't, but there's no need to get hysterical about it.

    Brzezinski mostly concentrates on Eurasia, which according to him is the central battleground for competing global powers. Not only does it have plentiful natural resources, but its geographic location-the meeting point between Europe and Asia-essentially make it the center of the advanced world. Brzezinski fluently describes the potential problem spots in this area as well as potential rivals, allies and global aspirants. France, Germany, Russia, China, and to a lesser extent Turkey and Iran are all important world players in this chess game and for what it's worth, Brzezinski favors friendly relations with all of these countries. Unlike our current leaders, he opposes the demonization of any country and insists that all the aforementioned powers can be brought into a mutually beneficial relationship.

    To be fair, Brzezinski argues that a sudden end to American supremacy would likely be disastrous to the region, causing massive instability and anarchy. He also claims that if we abandon our imperial role, this will only leave the door open for another, perhaps less benevolent power to take our place. He also claims that America's hegemony is best understood as a temporary substitute for a more equal global partnership. Of course this is all debatable, and it is fair to argue that imperialism is the cause of this region's problems, but Brzezinski sees the world as it is, not as it should be.

    So whether you see Brzezinski as a benevolent visionary, or a maniacal plotter of world domination, this book is an excellent glimpse into the mind of a brilliant globalist and international strategist. Highly recommended to anyone with the slightest interest in international affairs.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • F. ALCALA
    4.0 out of 5 stars A clever and full of hate mind
    Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2006
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    This is a very interesting book.Brezinsky is a very clever person, everybody knows that is member of several almost secret organizations, but the hate to Russia that he feels like born in Poland is over all the book. It's curious that he fells more hate to Russia that to Germany, that killed very much more polish people that russians. I recomended to read the book of Jean-Francois Steiner , Warsaw 44, and you will see that the guilty of massacre of Warsaw are the nationalists polishs.

    The general lines of the point of view of Brzezinsky are corrects, and we see every day with the news how the US army go in the path recomended by him. But there are some wrong points ( in my modest point of view ). First , Brezinsky was the creator of the muslim guerrilla in Afganistan that was one of the beginning of islamic terrorism. He created a monster only for their hate to Russia, and we , and the americans, are suffering the consequences. Before 9/11, when a journalist asked him about the danger of islamic terrorism for the world, he said " nonsenses". A big mistake.

    Second. The word Africa don't appear one time in the book, obviously this continent is not importante for him, may be true but, why the american companies are taking off oil in Angola and Guinea ?

    Third . He speaks about Ukrania and Kazastan and other former provincies of Russia like if they were real independients countries. Ukrania and Russia have been unitad for more of 350 years ( very far before US existed )and he's happy that they are separated now. In kazastan 60 % of the population are slavic, russian and ukranians, if you believed in democracy , don't believed that they had to have the mayority of every aspect of life ? But the minority of kazanstan aborigen people ocuped almost every place in the gobernment, companies, etc, with the help of US, that is democracy ? If you see Caspio Net the satelite TV of Kazastan only see oriental faces, that is a disrimination to the white people, but, of course , the white people, an more if they are russians don't have rights.

    Of course after the "orange revolution" in Ukrania and others similars in former provincies of the URSS everybody knows who put the money back. And the objetive is clear, Brezinsky said, and everybody knows too. The oil of Central Asia.

    Unfortunately for Brzezinsky, Unites States is far and Russia near. The people of Kazastan and the other former provincies, speak russian and have russian education, Russia civilizated that regions before US conquered , about 1848,to Mexico, California, Nevada , Utah, Arizona, New Mexico , Texas, etc. With time these people will be reunited again, and that will be good for all, because the absence of control of Moscow in that provinces, only produced civil wars and anarchy.

    Unites States is doing like he did in Panama. Panamá was a province of Colombia and United States paid money to the local politics for make a artifical country separated of Colombia, and in that way buy the land for the Panama channel cheaper an easily, but Russia is not Colombia.

    The vacuum of russian power in that countries of central Asia is bad, very bad for all the western civilitation, and not other country can fill it without danger for Europe. The hate to Russia of a man had created a great problem for all us.

    Fourth. Brzezinsky is not happy still with make pieces of Russia, he wants make Russia littler, with three bigs republics inside ¡ What do you think if I said that United States have to be divided in three parts, East, Center and West because in that way they can don't suffer the power of Washington ? And If I give money to the aborigines of Haway and Alaska, and they make independent countries and few to few begins to expel to the white people of their countries ? And if from one century or two from now the people of Mexico that will be majority in West and South of Unied States wants to reunite with Mexico and come back the stolen lands ? All that is the things that United States does with Russia now, and don't forget that the white people in Unites States is , every day, fewer.

    It's a pity that when a big country like Russia wants go out of comunism , Europe and United States don'help him, and try to cut it in pieces. But remember that Tayllerand said " Russia is never so strong or weaker how she seems ". And also don't forget that the democracy is a way not the meta, many south american countries are democracies almost two centuries ago, and they are OK ? And Hitler get the power in free elections.

    One last point. Indonesia never will be a ally of Australia against China, like islamic country , will be a enemy of Australia for ever, because Australia is, still, a christian country. And the same happens with Pakistan and Turkey. United States forget the religion like motor of wars and hates.

    Anyway a very interesting book.
    28 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • walter
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for every Politician!
    Reviewed in Germany on November 23, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent book! Originally published in 1997; predicts possible war with Russia over Ukriane partnership with NATO. This current war could have been avoided and many lives saved.
    Its a blue-print of the USA National Security Doctrine to defend its hegemony.
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  • Patrick
    5.0 out of 5 stars Un'analisi semplicemente magnifica
    Reviewed in Italy on October 2, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    La carriera di Brzezinski parla da sé. L'analisi è approfondita e gli accenti posti nei punti giusti. Puntuale e molto chiara, oserei dire illuminante per coloro che non sono estremamente competenti nel campo della geopolitica.
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  • julika winkler
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating reading.
    Reviewed in Canada on June 6, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    The title of the book says it all. A primer in the political chessboard that is the US foreign policy. Brzezinski outlines in broad strokes
    the template that should direct US foreign relations if the US wishes to remain the dominant world power.Considering this book was first published in 1997, it is amazing in its prescience regarding US policy today , especially vis a vie China, Russia, Ukraine and Europe. For readers interested in politics,this book makes fascinating reading.
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  • Florian ETIENNE
    5.0 out of 5 stars Un grand classique de la géopolitique
    Reviewed in France on July 23, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    The Grand Chessboard est un livre important pour comprendre le projet de l'impérialisme américain.
    Il faut cependant lire ce livre avec un regard d' "initié" pour comprendre toutes les implications,
    car Brzezinski cache toujours ses véritables intentions.
    N'oublions pas que le processus d'hégémonie qu'il défend ne servira pas à promouvoir la "démocratie" mais à
    installer la dictature des financiers occidentaux sur le monde, soit le "nouvel ordre mondial".
    Ce n'est donc pas un livre pour les dupes.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is a 'must read book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 19, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    For anyone interested in the motivations that underpin current American foreign policy thinking, this is a 'must read' book. I came to it because of the number of times it was referenced by other authors and decided that it was time that I read it too. The title of the book explains its analytical purpose. It is very much about how the USA can continue to assert its primacy and the manner in which it needs to do so. Reading this analysis of America's global strategic imperatives, especially for the long-term control and security of oil supplies, shows why the USA is in Iraq, Afghanistan now and, latterly, why it is becoming more involved in Africa in countries where oil and minerals are yet to be exploited intensively. It also explains America's military, diplomatic and commercial presence in countries that encircle Russia and border on China.
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